201 Jozu Journey

The Red Hair Pirates sailed boldly across the stormy sea, making their way toward Whitebeard's territory.

During this time, Jozu slowly made his way to the location of Sky Island, but the long distance meant it took quite a while to reach there

On the journey, Jozu couldn't stop pondering the identity of the person Whitebeard asked him to find on Sky Island.

Whitebeard didn't explicitly mention the name of the person, but Jozu had a feeling that this person was truly extraordinary. The feeling was conveyed through the instructions Whitebeard provided.

Whitebeard informed him that seeing this person directly on Sky Island wouldn't be possible, so Jozu needed a special method to establish contact with him

While sailing, Jozu unexpectedly came across a pirate group.

"Commander Jozu, there's a pirate group up ahead" 

The lookout reported immediately.

Jozu glanced around and spotted tall flags flying high above the pirate ship ahead of him, with a ship that looked like a yellow dinosaur mouth.

"That flag looks familiar" 

Jozu quickly realized it belonged to a supernova from the first half of the Grand Line. The two figures at the front seemed oddly familiar to him.

As the distance closed in, Jozu quickly recognized the two supernovas, Eustass 'Captain' Kid and 'Massacre Soldier' Killer, known for causing a stir in the first half of the Grand Line and frequently appearing in the newspapers.

He saw Kid looking at him with a haughty face. He embraced his hands and shouted to Jozu : "Commander Jozu, let's talk."

The crew on Jozu's side became alert one by one, and Jozu felt a bit puzzled. It seemed like these people had been aware of their movements for quite some time.

It looked like they had been waiting here for a while, but he couldn't figure out what these people were up to.

"Commander, do you think they're planning to attack us?" 

All of the crew adopted a defensive stance.

However, Jozu waved his hand, signaling them to hold off for now, wanting to understand the intentions of the other party first.

If the two turn out to be hostile, there's time to fight later. 

Jozu doesn't believe that these two can defeat him together. Despite being supernovas, he has long been renowned for his strength and hold the two of them off

"Don't make our hostility too obvious. Bring the ship closer; I want to understand their intentions." 

This is also why Whitebeard specifically assigned Jozu for this task – his usual caution and discernment.

"Alright, Commander" 

Replied the crew. They promptly steered the ship closer, following Jozu's instructions.

"Commander Jozu , We didn't expect to meet you here. If you don't mind, let's talk with my captain. We have something crucial to discuss." 

After the two ships met, Killer warmly extended an invitation to Jozu.

Kid comes off a bit arrogant, but overall, he's still quite friendly.

Although Jozu was still very strange, he didn't quite understand what important things they would have to discuss.

But Jozu had nothing to fear, so he boarded their ship alone.

"You probably didn't just coincidentally run into me here; you deliberately waited. Your information seems quite well-informed." 

After a few exchanged greetings, Kid offered Jozu a drink, and the conversation began.

Kid and Killer looked at each other, and they both laughed embarrassedly.

"Hey, it's just a coincidence. Lately, the Whitebeard Pirate has gained quite a reputation. The title of Pirate King is making waves across the world, and we couldn't help but take notice"

"Some of our crew heard you left the Whitebeard side and didn't know your destination, so we waited here based on your sailing route" 

Killer explained calmly.

Killer was also very honest, and directly stated their actions.

This honesty impressed Jozu a bit. He then inquired, "So, why are you here specifically for me? What's this important matter you mentioned?"

At this point, both Kid and Killer paused, hesitating for a considerable time.

Jozu found it even more weird. In reality, these two new pirate arrivals, along with their Kid Pirates crew, wouldn't stand a chance against him even if he were alone.

Even though these two are supernovas, this is the New World. The most crucial thing here is supreme strength. There are many formidable opponents around.

Therefore, these two can only be seen as a rookie pirate group, and their strength is significantly lower than that of the Whitebeard pirate crew.

Even if the two of them combine their strength, it doesn't measure up to the might of Jozu alone.

Therefore, there is so much gap between them. The reason he is willing to listen is because he doesn't want to make enemies unnecessarily.

Even for a rookie pirate group, making enemies too quickly is irrational because, in a way, it puts them at a significant disadvantage.

Certainly, Jozu wouldn't engage in such a foolish act. However, he wanted to understand the purpose of these two individuals as quickly as possible.

After all, Jozu has his own matters to attend to and can't afford to waste too much time. 

The journey is already quite long, and the situation is becoming increasingly tense in the New World

Of course, he wanted to complete the task as soon as possible and then return to Whitebeard.

Seeing that they were silent, Jozu had to continue to ask: "If you have something to say, say it directly, or I'll leave right away."

Jozu didn't want to waste more time with them. After his remark, the two of them got straight to the point.

"Commander Jozu, here's the thing. We've long admired Whitebeard, even when the world believed he was dead"

"But in reality, he's still alive. His recent actions have sent shockwaves throughout the world, and he's gained even more recognition as the Pirate King"

Killer expressed deep admiration for Whitebeard, these sentiments that have always been part of Killer statements.

While Kid is the captain of this pirate crew, his arrogant and conceited personality prevents him from expressing such sentiments.

So, Killer had to be the one to convey their feelings to Jozu. Upon hearing Killer's words, Jozu nodded in understanding.

"Well, with the entire world shocked by Pops' affairs, with enemies and friends scattered all over the New World, what exactly do you mean?" 

Jozu pressed Killer for more information because Killer had spoken for a while without stating their purpose and intentions.

Killer and Kid glanced at each other.

It was at this moment that Kid said to Jozu: "That's the thing, we want to join the Whitebeard Pirates."

Jozu's expression suddenly became intrigued because initially, the old man had tasked him with going out to expand their influence.

His original goal was to recruit more crew members and strengthen their forces, but he hadn't anticipated someone willingly seeking refuge at this time.

However, according to the old man, those who seek refuge usually need to show humility and respect.

With this in mind, Jozu didn't immediately respond to Kid's statement.

"We're willing to be just a small team leader, as long as we can follow the Whitebeard Pirates. That's all we ask"

"Yes, while we may not comparable to many captains under the Whitebeard name, the Kid Pirates still have significant potential

Seeing that Jozu was silent, the two guys added. 

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TO BE CONTINUE

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